Residents of the city were caught unawares when the sky suddenly became overcast around 4 p.m. Heavy rain, accompanied by thunder, lightning and high speed wind, soon followed, bringing down trees and branches across the city.

As usual, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) control rooms were flooded with complaints of tree falls. Complaints were also received by the Fire and Emergency Services.

Tree and branches fell on houses on 10th Main, Indiranagar 2nd Stage, Defence Colony, and 34th Main, J.P. Nagar 1st Phase. Vehicles were damaged after a tree fall at 4th T Block, Jayanagar while rain water entered homes in Bhoomaiah Layout, 6th Cross, Chikkalsandra, and in Garuthman Park, behind R.V. Teachers College, Basavanagudi.

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the city received rainfall ranging from 10 mm to 40 mm. Short spells of high-intensity rain with associated thunderstorm activity is characteristic of pre-monsoon.

G.S. Srinivas Reddy, Director, KSNDMC, said the rains were accompanied by high speed winds of 30-40 kmph. V.V. Puram and surrounding areas received the maximum rainfall, he said.

The city can expect more rain till the end of May due to the cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The IMD has forecast thunderstorm with lightning, accompanied by gusty winds (speed of 30-40 kmph) in isolated places over coastal Karnataka and south interior Karnataka.